Johto is where the heart is
by AwesomeFace91
Summary: May heads to Johto after she stopped traveling with Ash. Friends and enemies, a world new to her and a lot of Drew-ness. My first fanfic ever! I don't own Pokemon. I will try not to exaggerate any of the characters, except maybe Brianna... *MR DREW WILL YOU MARRY ME?* Sorry. I just hate her... Contestshipping and slight hinted at Festivalshipping.
1. Chapter 1

May lay on her bed in Petalburg City, Beautifly flying in circles around her head. She was leaving for Johto in the morning. In her head, she mulled over her recent experiences—the Kanto Grand Festival and the whole "He's grown feelings for you" conversation with Solidad. What had Solidad meant? May knew what the term "feelings for you" usually meant of course, but this was Drew. And with Drew, things were barely ever meant in the conventional sense.

She turned her head towards the door at the sound of a click. "May, dinner. Let's go wash up." Max then left without looking at her.

May sighed; she knew Max's feelings about staying behind while she went of to Johto. Now he would barely ever look at her. She was going to miss Munchlax, but it was definitely for the better. Munch and Max got along so well, and May knew that Munchlax would start pining if she brought him. She still hadn't told Max about leaving Munchlax behind. She was going to tell him about it at their last dinner together as a family…until after the Johto Grand Festival, of course.

Supper that night was a smorgasbord of noodles and other types of pasta to celebrate May leaving for Johto. She should have enjoyed it more, but her mind was elsewhere. She wasn't entirely sure how the conversation traveled, having minimal interaction with other people, but it somehow circled around to May's Pokémon and she managed to slip into the conversation that she was leaving Munchlax behind. Max totally freaked out. In a good way. He danced up and down on his chair until May's mom told him to sit down.

May stood on the front step of the gym. She hated long goodbyes, so she was hoping to make this a short one. "Take good care of Max, Munchlax, and Max, take good care of Munchlax. Don't trash the house."

"Come on May, when have I once trashed the house?"

May just laughed, hugged her mom and dad in turn, and strode off toward the dock, brimming with confidence, ready to take on whatever challenge Johto threw at her…be it Harley, Solidad, or even Drew. She was ready, or at least, she hoped she was.

May lay on the deck of the ship, Blaziken in a deck chair identical to hers next to her. May's philosophy was that just as you needed to keep water Pokémon moist, you needed to keep fire Pokémon tan. So she gave Blaziken a tanning mirror and cool shades to match hers, and told it to catch some rays. She was going to have lines under her bikini where she wasn't tan, but they would be under her clothes, so that was okay.

"Great tanning weather, huh May?"

She would know that voice anywhere. She pulled her shades up onto her forehead and just caught Drew's traditional bangs flip. She wasn't all that surprised to find Drew here. After all, he was heading to Johto from Hoenn as well. "Yes…" she answered carefully, not sure if Drew was poking fun at her or not. She picked through the question in her mind, trying to find hidden meanings. Drew didn't do straightforward. It could always be some kind of weird boy code, or it could be that he actually valued her opinion. She nearly laughed out loud at the latter.

"Might want to move your deck chairs back. I'm heading into the pool, and water is super effective on fire."

May noted that he looked good without his shirt on. He might work out, and probably did, judging from his chest. She mentally shook herself, and pushed Blaziken's deck chair back a few feet, with Blaziken still in it. If Drew could work out, so could she. Drew dived into the pool on deck while May and Blaziken watched from a safe distance. May looked to her right to see if everything was okay with Blaziken, then casually glanced to her left.

"Rose-roselia!"

"Oh, hey Roselia. Taking a break from training? Drew can be a little tough at times."

Roselia casually waved its blue rose like it was nothing.

May didn't realize she had fallen asleep until she woke up. The sky was a light shade of pink. She jerked her head up and frantically checked her watch. She had fallen asleep at around 2:15, so she had been asleep for—she did some quick calculations—two hours and forty-five minutes. She popped up out of the deck chair and shook Blaziken awake. "Come on, Blaziken, we've been asleep long enough!" Blaziken opened its beady birds eyes. "Blaziken, we're gonna have to head into my room. So, for now, return!" May said, picking up Blaziken's pokeball from the place she'd left it under her chair and firing the red laser at It. Scooping her personal belongings up, she headed off to her room. She had her hand on the doorknob before she noticed the note taped to her door. Ripping it slightly as she pulled it down, she read:

_Tonight, midnight, Room 26. Be there. –Drew_

Okay, but she was hungry. Food first.

May slid out of bed at the sound of her alarm clock. She hit the little button on the top hurriedly so she didn't wake up anyone else onboard. She slipped her feet into her tiny pink slippers. Ugh. Pink. What had she been thinking when she bought these? She glanced down at herself. Were pajamas appropriate for this kind of meeting? May didn't know. To be safe, she changed into some of the new clothes she had recently bought—a tight orange-and-white dress and green bandana with a white pokeball pattern. Picking up her pokeballs for good measure, she slipped down the hall slowly, trying not to make the floorboards creak. 24, 25, 26. There it was! Her heart was beating faster for some reason. Knocking gently on the door, she let a soft "Drew?" slide out of her mouth.

"Geez May! What took you so long? It's quarter past midnight already!"


	2. Chapter 2

May immediately went on the defensive. "Well, excuse me! I don't leave random cryptic notes on peoples doors, making them agonize all night about whether to come or not. What do you even want?" Drew ignored the question. "I was going to tell you when I left the pool, but you were asleep, and I didn't want to wake you." May raised an eyebrow at him skeptically, crossing her arms over her chest. "Turn on the light and come sit down." Said Drew, apparently unfazed by her look. May sighed. It wasn't like she had anything better to do. After groping the wall by the door for a few seconds, she found the switch and flicked it. The room was flooded with light. She saw that Drew was sitting at a table in the top right-hand corner of the room with a deck of cards and a small burlap sack. May cautiously made her way over to the table, and, as if it might have a bomb on the seat, cautiously lowered herself onto the polished mahogany surface. "So, what did you want Drew?"

"To talk…" He replied evasively. "So, May, do you know how to play poker? He asked, dealing out the cards, and pulling some poker chips out of the burlap sack. "I've had a few lessons with dad." She said, picking up her cards. "Good. So May, you thought about what you're going to evolve your Eevee into?" Why was he doing this? Being so friendly? "Well, on my team currently, I have Blaziken, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Skitty, and of course, Eevee."

"What? What about Munchlax and Beautifly? I'll raise a blue chip."

"Munchlax and Max are like best friends, and Beautifly reminds mom of how she and dad met." She replied, scanning her hand. A four, five, and six, that was a pretty good bet. "Well I personally think you should go for a Jolteon, Umbreon, or Glaceon. Reveal." May giggled. "You really were bluffing weren't you?" She teased, pulling the reasonably large pile towards her. "You have an excellent poker face." Replied Drew, dodging the question. "So why a Jolteon, Umbreon, or Glaceon?" Drew smirked. "To balance out your team. You already have good Fire/Fighting, Water, Normal, and Grass/Poison types. And if necessary, a good Bug/Flying type. I fold." May silently cheered. She was demolishing Drew with this game! "So, Which out of those would be best in contests do you think?" Drew flipped his bangs. "That depends on the skill of the coordinator. I'd say probably, for a novice like you, a Jolteon." May slammed her hand down on the table, cards facing down. "A novice? Excuse me? I could beat you any old day!"

"How abut now?" Drew replied lazily, stacking chips into a pile. "You and me, four on four match, ship's battlefield."

"Fine!" May shot back. She was not backing down to Drew. She was not going to get a Jolteon! She was a better coordinator than he was. And she could handle anything He could handle. "What evolution of Eevee would you get, Mr. Rose?" Drew flicked his bangs in that infuriating way he did. "A Glaceon. Probably the best one out of the three I suggested."

"Fine then! I'm getting a Glaceon!" She stomped of towards the battlefield, abandoning her poker cards on the table. Right before the door slammed, she barely caught Drew's whisper of; "That's my girl." Just to himself. What was that supposed to mean?


	3. Chapter 3

They didn't get around to the battle. May didn't speak to Drew until the boat landed early the next morning. "Hey Drew."

"Hey May." That was the extent of their interaction. Her interaction with Harley was harder to break away from. "May! Oh, May hon!" May turned towards the annoying singsong voice of Harley. "What. Do. You. Want. Harley?" The purple haired Cacturne cosplayer was sprinting towards her.

"Oh, May! I love your new look! Where did you buy that dress?"

"Get a life Harley." Said May, trying to shove past him. "May hon! I insist! You must tell me where you bought those clothes!"

"Why? So you can cross-dress as me again? Go away!" May caught Drew's eye over Harley's shoulder. Drew rolled his eyes and smirked. He wrote on a pad of paper the same size and shape as the note that he had left on her door:

_Tell him to go suck a sock._

"Harley?"

"Yes May hon?"

"Go suck a sock." May flashed a cutesy smile, and skipped off, singing a little noodle song.

"The noodle song was unnecessary." Said Drew, snickering as May chowed down on… noodles. "Shut up Drew. I felt like I needed to have a noodle song in there."

"What a valid argument." Said Drew, popping a noodle full of cottage cheese into his mouth and making a face. "You can stomach this garbage?"

"Shut up Drew, I happen to like noodles of all sorts. Besides, I didn't ask for you to hover over me while I try to pass the time while Nurse Joy's helping Blaziken's sunburn. He didn't apply sun screen under the feathers on his head." Drew snorted. "Chansey! Chansey chance?" Said a pink Pokémon with a bright white egg in its front pouch. "Hey Chansey! What is it? Chansey pulled on May's arm gently, and then started of towards the counter. May looked at Drew, shrugged, and followed the Chansey.

"Hello May! Your Pokémon have been restored to full health. Just massage a burn heal into Blaziken's scalp every day."

"Thank you Nurse Joy!" She said, and sprinted of towards the doors. "May? Hey! May! Wait up!" She didn't know why, maybe the exertion, but she felt her face flush as Drew ran towards her. "What do you want, Drew?"

"Where are you going?"

"My parents gave me some money to buy a new bike, so I'm heading to the bike shop."

"What happened to your old one?"

"Ash's Pikachu shocked it. I seem to remember my phrasing as: Ahhh! My bike's barbecued!" Drew cracked up, and after a second, May did too. It really was quite funny. Drew turned out to be a great help at the bike shop. He knew a lot about different models of bikes, and what sort of thing he thought May was looking for. The bike he helped her decide on was perfect! May considered hugging him, but decided against it, because awkward questions.

"So May?" May turned around. "Are you competing in the contest in Bonitaville?"

"I guess. What direction is it?" Drew pointed at a road to the north. "I guess I'll meet you there, May. I have an uncle to visit." Drew sighed. "He smells funny." Pulling a rose out from his jacket, he tossed it into the air. Out of habit, May reached into the air and deftly caught it. Drew nodded at her, and walked off into the sunset.


	4. Chapter 4

May relished in the freedom of having a bike again. She was going to win the Johto Grand Festival! She just knew it. She looked around and laughed. No Duskull to jump out and startle her this bike ride! She shook her head, amused. When that had happened, she hadn't even had Torchic, and she didn't know what a contest was. She had come so far, and yet, in some ways, she was still the same girl who had totally freaked out when a stranger insulted her Pokémon and intentionally kept bluk berries from her. She smiled, remembering how she and Drew met. He had been such a jerk back then, and now, she had a strange feeling that Drew would become one of her only confidantes. Well, maybe Solidad too. May hadn't seen Solidad yet, but she had only been in Johto for about a day. Speaking of which, it was getting dark. She stopped cycling and scanned the area for a good place to set up camp. She saw a nice little clearing and chained her bike to a tree. She arranged some rocks in a circle to make a fire pit, and pulled out her sleeping bag. She got Blaziken to light the firewood she had placed in the circle, snuggled down into her sleeping bag, and realized she was starving.

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a granola bar. Unwrapping it, she thought about Brock's cooking. It was infinitely better than a granola bar. But she finished it off and the growling in her stomach subsided a little. But that didn't change the fact that this was her first night alone in the wild. She had been camping out for as long as her journey had been going on, but this was her first night alone. Every noise was magnified tenfold. Little scurrying footsteps off in the distance? A huge Pokémon running in circles around her. A Hoothoot's call up a tree? A legendary Pokémon roaring in her face. Human footfalls? Wait a second. May sat bolt upright. Peering into the night, she could just make out emerald green hair and a purple shirt. Drew's face was then illuminated by the firelight, indifferent as he walked past. "Drew?" She asked, louder than she had intended, her voice ringing above the crackling of the fire. Their eyes met for a second, then Drew said: "Oh, May, I thought that was you but I wasn't sure."

"How do you do it Drew?" Drew smiled cunningly. "I have many things I do that people would give an arm and a leg for. Be more specific."

"Be alone. At night. In the woods."

"What? You're not afraid of the dark, are you?" May felt her face heat up. "No! It's no like that! I just- I've never been alone before." Drew looked at her for what seemed like a long time, but was actually only a few seconds. Then he did the last thing May expected him to do. He sat down next to her in front of the fire. He lay down, facing away from her. "You're not." He mumbled into the dirt. May stared at him for a moment, then smiled, and lay down.

When May woke up, all she saw was a plate of noodles and a note. It said:

_Thank you for finally waking up. I had to go on, but I'm always glad to help._

_At night, to help with the loneliness, try counting everything right with the world. It worked with me in the early stages of my travels._

_Eat the noodles before they get cold. (Oh, wait; if you just woke up, they're probably already cold :D)_

_-Drew_

May laughed and scarfed down the noodles. He was right of course. They were cold. They tasted good anyway. Pulling the key out of her backpack, she unlocked her bike and straddled it. Scanning the campsite to see if she had left anything behind, she noticed a pokeball lying next to the dying fire. Dismounting her bike, she went over to investigate. She picked it up, and hesitated. It wasn't hers, and if there was a Pokémon inside it, that wasn't hers either. But if there really was a Pokémon, its trainer would be looking for it.

"Alright Pokémon, I choose you!" She yelled, throwing the pokeball into the air. In a flash of white light, a confused looking Slowbro appeared. Granted, Slowbro generally looked confused, but this one had a particularly vacant and concerned expression.

"How did you get here? The only Pokémon trainer that passed this way recently was Drew, and Drew doesn't have a Slowbro." It must have rolled away, She thought. But from who?

"Alright Slowbro!" May announced, coming to a decision. "I'm going to help you find your trainer!" The Pokémon nodded vigorously, looking ready to follow May pretty much anywhere. May returned it to its pokeball, silently grateful that she had left Munchlax behind. Otherwise, she would have had six Pokémon in her party, and wouldn't be able to carry the Slowbro around. Now speed was even more important. She hopped back on her bike, and sped off towards Bonitaville. As she neared her destination, she realized where she had seen a Slowbro before. With Solidad! It might have been Solidad's Slowbro! May peddled even faster. Solidad really cared about Slowbro. Solidad cared about all Pokémon. Solidad thought that Drew liked May. Harley thought that Drew and May were in a relationship. Drew, Harley, Solidad, and May. The half-friend, the creep, the Ribbon cup winner, and her. All these people and statements were swirling around in her head, so that only about an eighth of her consciousness was focused on the road. So when she came up upon a tall figure on the path ahead, she barely had time to swerve into the underbrush at the side of the road to avoid a collision. But then, looking up from the ground, she smiled.

"Solidad!"

**Sorry about late updates, I have school. I'm working when I can, but I don't have much time to write. Add writers block, and you've got a recipe for disaster. I hope you like this anyway. Bye!**


	5. Chapter 5

May got up, brushing herself off.

"Hello May." Solidad seemed a little distracted. Okay, scratch that, a lot distracted. She glanced around the clearing.

"May, have you seen a pokeball or a Slowbro around here?" May almost laughed with relief. The Slowbro's owner was right here.

"Actually, yes! I have!" May pulled the pokeball off of her belt and held it out to Solidad.

"Is this it? Is this Slowbro?"

"Yes it is!" The look now spanning Solidad's face was the most joyous thing May had ever seen.

"Slowbro! Come on out!" Yelled Solidad, sending the pokeball spinning high into the air. At it's highest point, it opened up, and a burst of light revealed Slowbro, The same concerned expression fixed in place.

"Slowbro!" At the sound of her voice, the pink Pokémon's expression changed to match Solidad's radiant smile.

"Slooooooow!" 'All this is missing is a cornfield and some cheesy music.' Thought May, but she kept her sarcastic thoughts to herself, so as not to ruin the beautiful moment unfolding before her. Solidad sprinted towards Slowbro, and Slowbro kind of trotted forwards. The embrace that followed made May feel like she had just granted Cinderella the ability to go to the ball, gave Wendy passage to neverland, and sent Alice down the rabbit hole, all at once.

May and Solidad chatted the rest of the way to Bonitaville. It was idle chitchat, Pokémon, contests, other coordinators. Especially Drew. When Solidad brought up the topic of Mr. Grasshair-purpleshirt, May felt her face heat up like it had in the Pokémon center.

"So, May, have you seen Drew recently?"

"Yes… Why?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing. How are Brock, Max, and What's-his-name? I thought I'd see them next time I saw you." May looked away.

"I'm not proud of it. What happened. I basically left Max behind after Ash left me behind." May still felt hurt about that, and it must have shown in her tone, because next, Solidad said;

"I see. So you support Advanceshipping?"

"Stop breaking the fourth wall, Solidad. And FYI, I don't like Ash, and he doesn't like me."

"The same can't be said for Drew." May was silent. "Come on, May, you know I'm right."

"I can neither confirm, nor deny your suspicions, miss, and now if you will permit it, I would like to awkwardly change the topic." May didn't know why she was so snappish about it. She didn't like Drew. She'd know if she liked someone, right?

"Be my guest. Awkwardly change the topic to your heart's content." May grinned. Solidad was a bit like the older sister she never had. She was someone to help, and to talk about boys with, and to just chat with. It was nice, she realized. May liked having someone like Solidad.

"Okay… Let's think, what can I awkwardly change the subject to?"

"How about the fact that we're here?" May squinted through the trees, and saw that Solidad was right. There was a town up ahead, looking alive in a way the forest wasn't. It was the people, May realized. They added a liveliness to the place that the forest lacked.

"Come on May! Let's get registered for the contest at the Pokémon center!" Solidad made her way down a short hill towards the town, and May happily followed.

When the duo reached the Pokémon center, they heard an earsplitting shriek from inside.

"But Mr. Drew, I love you!"

"Get away from me, you pink-haired menace! Is there an officer Jenny nearby?" May had a suspicion, and when she sprinted into the Pokémon center, it was confirmed. Brianna was chasing Drew around in circles, all around the Pokémon center.

"Drew!" He turned and saw May standing in the doorway.

"May! Don't just stand there, help me!"

"Right. Hey! Brianna!" The Drew fan-girl turned sharply at the sound of her

voice.

"You." Said Brianna, her voice deep and foreboding.

"Me." Replied May, trying to stay cheery.

"I thought I warned you to stay away from MY Mr. Drew!"

"You're right, but funny, I don't see a Drew that belongs to you here."

"Shut up May! You just don't want to admit that Mr. Drew likes me better!" May smiled. Then she sprung into action.

"How about this. A Pokémon battle, winner decided by Drew."

"Fine by me." Drew looked shocked.

"May! Don't drag me into this!"

"Correction, you dragged ME into this. I was just here to register for the contest."

"HEY! Brown-haired inferior! Get your butt over here so I can kick it, on the field of battle!"

"What a surprise." May muttered. "She knows what inferior means." Drew cracked up. May glowed. She'd made him laugh! Why did it matter? May didn't know, but it sure was a warm feeling.

After May rested her Pokémon in the Pokémon center, she met Brianna on

the battlefield out back. Drew stood on the caller's podium; Solidad, Harley, and a few interested bystanders sat on the benches.

"You choose first May, I insist."

"Fine! I choose you! Bulbasaur!"

"Huh. A Bulbasaur. Fine then. Let's go, Vibrava!" Drew announced:

"This one-on-one Pokémon battle between May and Brianna will now begin! Opponents may use one Pokémon each. No substitutions. Begin!"

(A/N This part is just going to be what they say, no commentary until the battle's over. Just picture a Pokémon battle, okay?)

"Vibrava! Use aerial ace!"

"Bulbasaur, deflect with vine whip! Now, Bulbasaur! Use poison powder!"

"Vibrava, leer!"

"Bulbasaur, use leer as well!"

"Stop copying my moves, May!"

"Staring contest, staring contest!"

"Vibrava, sand tomb, and then dragon breath!"

"Bulbasaur, get up! I know you can do it! Now tackle!"

"Vibrava! Wing attack!"

"Bulbasaur, no! Are you okay?"

"Bulb."

"Okay then. Try a Solar beam, and then instantly razor leaf!"

The combo hit Vibrava full force, the beam strong and steady, with the leaves spinning in circles around it. It seemed to hit in slow motion. The Pokémon fell out of the sky, landing with a thump in the dust. Silence for 3 seconds, and then;

"Vibrava is unable to battle. Bulbasaur wins, and the victory goes to May!"

"Yay! We did it, Bulbasaur!" May opened her arms wide, welcoming Bulbasaur in for a hug. But Bulbasaur didn't move.

"Bulbasaur?"

"Bulba-SAAAUUR!" May watched, as did the rest of the onlookers, as Bulbasaur started to glow. Drew was at her side in an instant.

"You can tell Bulbasaur to stop, if you want."

"Bulbasaur!" May called. "Only do this if you want to!" But Bulbasaur didn't stop, and May and Drew stood together, the light blinding them. Then it stopped, faded away and before them stood…

"Ivysaur!"


	6. Chapter 6

Brianna stomped off in a huff while May pulled her new Ivysaur in for a hug.

"Congratulations, May. An Ivysaur. But I could still totally beat you." Said Drew with a flip of his bangs. May grinned. When she started Pokemon training, she probably would have cried. Now, she could just shake it off. Mostly because she knew Drew.

"Oh, May hon! That was simply FABULOUS! You need to tell me," Said Harley, coming over and pulling out a notebook. "Did you time that level up to rub it in that girl's face, was it an accident, coincidence, Bulbasaur's timing? Tell me everything you know and feel. Now!" Harley got closer to her face with every word. He was leaning on her. May casually sidestepped, and Harley fell face first into the dust. Solidad and Drew both doubled over with laughter, then Solidad reached down to help Harley up. May noticed how they held hands for a second longer than was necessary. May motioned for Drew to follow her inside the Pokemon center.

"Did you notice that?" May asked Drew once they were sitting down at a table in the center.

"Notice what?"

"Solidad and HARLEY!" Drew looked confused.

"What about them?"

"They held hands."

"So? She was just helping him up."

"They held hand longer than was necessary."

"No offence intended May, but do you think you're obsessing about this?"

"No I don't! I have an eye for these kinds of things!"

"Okay, let's say they did like each other, just for the sake of the conversation, how does it apply to us?" May put her head down on the table.

"Solidad is one of my best friends. Harley is one of my worst enemies."

"Does he have to be?" May was silent. Drew hurriedly elaborated. "Harley has done bad things in the past, yes, however, people can reform." May still held her tongue. "Well think about it May. If you get any ideas, let me know, okay?" Drew stood up and left her sitting at the table with a lot of things to

think about.

May stood up and walked to the counter.

"Hello Nurse Joy! Can you heal my Pokemon and get me registered for the contest?"

"Of course May. Thank you for getting rid of Brianna. I'm usually impartial on such things, but all that yelling was giving the sick Pokemon headaches."

"It was my pleasure Nurse Joy, I don't like her much. Can I register for the contest?"

"Of course May. Here's a Johto contest pass. Just sign here." May scribbled her name down and sat down back at the table. Drew had a point. When May had met Drew, he had been a jerk, uninterested, hard to understand, and pigheaded. Now he was nice to her, willing to waste his valuable time on her, and ready to keep her company through the night. Could Harley change too? What May didn't know is that while she thought about Harley, he was sitting on a bench outside the center, his hand still tingling from Solidad's touch. He watched her training across the field, Lapras pulling out some fantastic combinations. He knew he was a bit of a creep, and that nobody but what could he do? It wasn't his fault that-no. He pushed that thought away. Too painful. Solidad's eyes met his for a second, and then flitted away, as they often did. Her eyes, the eyes that were so soft and gentle, but hard when she looked at him. Not always. When she was caught off guard, her eyes seemed to be a thousand times warmer. He should talk to her. What could he say? He stood up. Maybe he could just start talking, it was what he did best.

"Solidad! Oh, Solidad!" He almost said 'Hon', but he didn't. She turned.

"What do you want, Harley?" He swallowed.

"Have you noticed the behavior of, uh," He cast around desperately. "May?" He finished, next trying to think about the behavior of May and what he could say to back up his question.

"No, I haven't. What is it?"

"Have you seen the way she acts around Drew?" It was the best he could come up with, but then he realized he was genuinely curious as to what her opinion was. Solidad turned to him.

"So you noticed too?"

"Yes." That was honest.

"So what about it?"

"I think we should have a little competition." He didn't know where the idea had come from, but now that he said it, a full plan began forming. Harley saw the competitive fire in her eyes.

"What kind of competition?" She asked cautiously.

"To get May and Drew together of course!" Solidad's eyes widened.

"We couldn't!"She cried in shock.

"But we could! We could even have a prize!" Solidad was not one to be bribed by material things. But Harley wasn't offering material things.

"No, Harley. The matters of the heart should be left alone."

"But I haven't told you what the prize is. Aren't you even kind of curious?"

"Not really Harley. You can't buy my attention that way." She said, turning to walk away.

"Bragging rights, and one command!" Harley said desperately. Solidad turned slowly.

"What do you mean 'command'?" Solidad asked, a little more interested. Harley smiled. Everything was going down exactly as he had planned it.

"Well, you know, I thought you weren't interested." He felt himself smirk as he said it.

"Tell me what you mean." She said, a growl in her voice, but meeting his eyes for the first time in the conversation.

"Let's say you were mad at me for something."

"That wouldn't be hard."

"Ahem. Let's say you were mad at me for something, and you had won. You could tell me to do anything. I'd have to do it, and vice versa." Harley looked at Solidad's mischievous smile, and counted how many times he'd made her smile. 1. She held out her hand.

"I accept your terms, Harley. If I lose, I'll do it, but I wont lose." He smiled, and took Solidad's hand for the second time that day. As Harley and Solidad shook hands, May stood up from the table again. Stretching, she headed off to her room to sleep. But May didn't get a wink of sleep all night. She was too busy thinking about what Drew had said. When the sun rose, May's eyes were bloodshot, her hair was a mess, her clothes were wrinkled due to have slept in them, and she was very much awake. A voice crackled over the intercom.

"May, please report to the lobby, you have a call. May?" May groaned and stood up groggily. She thumped down the stairs and picked up the phone from the video screen.

"What." She snapped.

"HEY MAY!" May rubbed her eyes, shook her head, and rubbed her eyes again.

"Ash? What are you doing up so early?" The bright eyed and bushy tailed spiky-haired ten year old scratched his head.

"Early?"

"Yes, Ash, it's only the crack of dawn, nothing too insane." She groaned.

"OH! That explains why I'm the only one up." He replied, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. May shook her head. She had used to look up to him, but he was just so clueless sometimes.

"Have you won any contests yet?"

"My first one's today. Have you won any badges yet?"

"Nah, but it's okay. All in good time."

"Okay."

"If she was up, I'd introduce you to Dawn. She's a coordinator too!"

"I see. You've already replaced me, Max, and Brock."

"Not Brock, he's still here."

"Good to know. Have you talked to Misty recently?"

"No. Well, I hope you're doing okay. I was just checking up! Bye!"Ash put the receiver down. May sighed. Ash was an insensitive jerk sometimes. not all the time, nowhere near all the time, but he'd already replaced her! Idiot. May wished she could curl up in a ball and go to sleep, but she had to get ready for the contest. She had done nothing to prepare for this, and she didn't have much time. May pulled out her pokeballs, and ran outside.

"Alright, who am I gonna use?" She wondered aloud, looking at her pokemon obediently standing in a line.

"Ivysaur! Let's test your new talent!" She decided, returning everyone else. Drew walked outside, towards the contest hall.

"Trying to get some last minute training in May? Hmph. Don't bother. It starts in eight minutes." May nearly screamed.

"EIGHT MINUTES?"

"Yeah. Why is that such a shock?"

"I haven't planned anything!" Drew flicked his hair. good to know I'll have less competition. Which Pokemon are you going to use if you enter?"

"Ivysaur."

"And?" Drew asked.

"What do you mean?"

"It's a double contest, May. A double."

"As in we switch between rounds?"

"No. As in two Pokemon. You show off two Pokemon's moves at once, and then in the battle round, it's a double battle." May's eyes rolled back in her head and felt her head hit the floor. An awful smell reached her nostrils. May sat up with a jolt. Drew's armpit was in her face. May shrieked and shoved

him off of her.

"Fine way to react." Drew grumbled. "You were out cold and I didn't know what else to do. You may thank me now." May stood up as Drew did the same. She then smacked him smartly around the face, and told him to buy some deodorant. May took off running to the contest hall. She was going to have to improvise, so what could she do? Ivysaur and...Who? No time to think, because she had arrived at the contest hall.

**What do you think? I know I write short chapters, I'm sorry, I tried to make this one a little longer. I'm going camping, so I wont be able to write for the next few days. Sorry! Reviews are appreciated, I want to know what I'm doing right, and what I can do to improve. If you like what you're reading, favorite, follow, whatever strikes your fancy. Bye!**


	7. Chapter 7

May arrived panting at the door three minutes later, Drew leisurely strolling behind.

"Pass please." The guard at the door spoke in a tired monotone voice.

"Here." She wheezed, slapping it into his hands.

"Seems in order. Go right in." May dashed inside, collapsing on a bench without looking who she was sitting next to. Too late, she realized it was Harley.

"Hello May hon!" He said leaning on her.

"Ugh. Go bark up the wrong tree." She said, wishing she could have come up with a better comeback. Harley made a little pouty face.

"That's not nice, hon. Hey, we're friends right?"

"No." Harley ignored this remark and kept going.

"Yes, and friends talk about everything! Right May?"

"Not everything." May sighed. Harley was way to close for comfort. Harley

yet again disregarded what May had said.

"YES! Everything! So, tell me what you think of Drew."

"Drew?" This was the last topic of conversation May had expected.

"Yes. What do you think of him?"

"Skye? Please report to the stage, Skye?" A voice echoed over the intercom. A nervous looking girl walked past, her skirt swishing. May pretended to be more interested in watching the girl, who had just entered the stage according to the television above the contestants, than she actually was. May watched until she couldn't pretend to be interested anymore.

"Well May? What are your feelings on him?"

"He's a capable coordinator and a willing friend." She said, trying to sound as indifferent as possible.

"I see." Harley didn't look to pleased with her answer, but he couldn't press her further, because next thing May knew, she was called.

"But I'm seventh in the line-up!" She exclaimed frantically.

"Time flies when you're talking with a good friend!"

Harley squealed. "Now go knock 'em dead, hon!" May briefly wondered why Harley was cheering for her, but she couldn't think about it because she had to get to the stage asap. May stepped into the light. She somehow kept her hands from trembling as she stood there.

"And now, I give you, MAY! Known by her fans as THE PRINCESS OF HOENN!" I have fans? I have a NICKNAME? May was very confused. May had watched the other coordinators' performances, and came up with a loose plan.

"Ivysaur! Skitty! Take the stage!" May had thought it out in the little time she had, and decided on something she'd never done before.

"Saursaur!"

"Nyaaah!"

"Okay, Ivysaur, sludge bomb!" She'd quickly taught it TM36 as she walked away from Harley, it was a going-away present from her dad, Norman.

"Now, Skitty, freeze it with blizzard!"

"Nyaaah!" With a whoosh, Skitty hit the poisonous orb with a blizzard, encasing it in sparkly ice.

"Double slap!" Skitty hit it hard with her tail, shattering it into frozen pieces.

"Ivysaur! Razor leaf!" The rapidly spinning leaves mingled with the ice encrusted purple goop. May swept a curtsy, breathing fast after her fit of improvisation.

"What an amazing show! May combined the rough bluntness of a poison-type attack with the delicate beauty of an ice-type attack to make a stunning

combination. Now, let's hear from the judges."

"She did a wonderful job of showing both pokemon's unique talents.'' Intoned Nurse Joy sweetly.

"Remarkable!" Said Mr. Suziko, naturally.

"If May had performed up to her usual standard, I'd like it even more." Criticized Mr. Contesta. May's face fell.

"Now, let's see the results. A seven point three from Nurse Joy, a six point four from Mr. Suziko, and a six point seven from Mr. Contesta. A 20.4 out of a possible 30. Not brilliant, but still reasonable." May strolled off of the stage, head high, trying not to cry. No way she'd make it to the next round with a score like that.

**Wow. Poor May. Please leave me a review, I want to be able to improve. I'm super grateful for the support I've gotten, even though my fans are a very small group, I consider myself lucky anybody likes this story at all. Sorry for short chapter, MAJOR writer's block.**


	8. Chapter 8

**OKAY! I know I haven't updated in ages, but I have serious writers block. I wanted to give my extremely small following something, but this chapter is going to be short, okay? You have been warned. Btw, people might be ooc because I haven't watched advanced generation in a while...**

Drew scored 27.3.

Solidad scored 27.5.

Harley scored 25.2.

Brianna scored 21.9.

May was nearly crying. Brianna was the lowest score that made it into the second round. She had been beaten by Brianna. May slowly made her way out the back door, planning on going into the audience and watching her friends and enemies compete, when someone laid a hand on her shoulder. May turned around in surprise, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding when she saw it was only Solidad.

"Yes, Solidad?"

"May! Where are you going?" May found this question rather odd, because she considered Solidad a smart person.

"I'm not in the second round."

"But you can cheer from backstage, and I want to talk to you." May nodded mutely and followed Solidad back inside. They sat on a bench facing the screen showing what was going on onstage.

"And now, Harley versus Drew!" May watched Harley step up to his side, then turned her head and looked at Drew on the other side. Drew sent out his Flygon and his Roselia. Harley sent out his Cacturne and his Wigglytuff. May bit her fingernails, looking at both of their lineups. Drew was tough. He could beat Harley, right?

"Are you okay May?" May jumped out of her skin. She's forgotten that Solidad was right next to her.

"Oh! Oh, yes. I'm fine. Just wondering who's going to win."

"I don't know. They're both capable coordinators and willing friends." May looked at her and Solidad looked back, a twinkle in her eye.

"Come on May. We both know that's not all you feel about Drew."

"Were you eavesdropping?" Solidad laid a finger to her lips, indicating that she was going to keep her mouth shut.

"And that's another thing." May said, kind of angry. "Why are you and Harly suddenly so interested in what I think of Drew?" Solidad bit her lip.

"I-I just thought-" May calmed down a little. She often tried with Max, but unless her food had been stolen, she couldn't stay angry for that long.

"It's okay. And there is nothing more than an unfriendly friendship between Drew and me."

"That's not what he said." If May had been drinking water, she would have spat it out.

"Yeah, what did he say?" Asked May, surprising herself with her own interest.

"He considers you a friend. Why don't you do the same?" May blushed scarlet.

"Because he's such a jerk?" She asked, wishing she knew herself.

"And now, Briannna versus Solidad!" May looked at the screen quickly, but she'd missed who'd won.

"Did you see-?" May asked Solidad tentatively.

"Drew. By a whisker." Solidad replied, standing up to go to the next round. May breathed a sigh of relief, telling herself the only reason she was so happy was because she didn't like Harley. That was the only reason she was rooting for Drew, right? Wait. She was rooting for Drew? Why not Solidad? She shook herself. Solidad hadn't been it that battle. But she was rooting for

Solidad in the overall contest, right?

"And Brianna is disqualified!" May's eyes shot up to the screen.

"Why?" She asked in confusion, forgetting that nobody was there to answer

her. What could that menace have done now?

"NOOO! I HAVE TO GO TO FINALS! AND FACE MY MR DREW!"

"Cheating will not be tolerated."

"BUT MR DREEEEEEEEEW!"

"Yes. Yes. I know. Let's go. Come on." Brianna was shoved backstage, right where May was waiting.

"You." Brianna said, seeing her.

"Me." May replied cheerily, feeling a strong sense of deja vu. An absurd scene flashed through her head. She was made of pixels, as was the world around her. Words flashed, "Rival Brianna would like to fight!" May cleared her mind of the thought. It was just a super weird thought. Did she really consider Brianna her rival? Did Brianna really think she had a chance with Drew? May actually shook herself that time, rather than mentally. What was she thinking? Sounds of the battle between Drew and Solidad swirled around her, making no sense. Brianna asked her something, but it was blurred. Then for the second time that day, May fainted. She fainted from the realization that she might feel more for Drew than friendship. May fainted because she realized that her worst rival for so long, was now her crush-boy. And it terrified her.

**What do you think? I'm worried that I'm rushing things, or that people are out of character. Please leave me a review! I want to know how I can improve. I have school, and writers block, and after school activities, so I can't update often. If you like what you're reading, follow, fave, whatever strikes your fancy.**


	9. Chapter 9

** I'm not a fast writer, but I update when I can. I thank my very small fan-base for bearing with me. Sorry for ooc-ness, I'm not good at adhering to characters that I didn't make myself. Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pringles, even though I make a reference to it.**

A face shrouded in pink swam in and out of focus in front of May. She was lying on the ground, the cold concrete pressing into the back of her head.

"Are you okay, brown-haired inferior?" Brianna asked, inches from May's face. Her breath smelled.

"Yeah... Think so..." She said, sitting up groggily and shoving Brianna out of

the way.

"Aaand the winner is DREW! What a gripping battle!" May's senses were suddenly sharp as shattered glass. Drew won? Drew beat Solidad? Crush, Hate, Beautifly, Drew, Roses, Bluk? No words or ideas made sense to May right then. All that mattered was her recent revelation. Now that she knew she liked him, how did she get rid of the feeling? Was there some kind of anti-crush medicine she could take?

"Hello May." Solidad was leaning over her. "Once again, we meet with you on the ground. Need a hand up? Feeling deja vu minus the bike and underbrush?" May accepted Solidad's hand gratefully and pulled herself up.

"Sorry you didn't win, it was a good battle." She wasn't sure what she was saying, her mind wasn't on the conversation. The first words she actually wanted to say, rather than her mouth just in autopilot, were

"Listen, Solidad. Can I talk to you? In private?"

"Of course." They left the contest hall, slowly making their way to the pokemon center.

"What is it, May?"

"Solidad, listen. You're my friend, right?"

"Of course."

"I-I've had a recent sudden understanding." She said, choosing her words carefully.

"And you need help understanding even further?"

"No. I need help getting rid of-of- a c" She kept choking on the words. "How do I get rid of a crush?" She asked in a rush, burying her face in her hands. Solidad stopped.

"I know, I know, weird request. Forget I said it."

"No. No, May. You came to the right person. I was surprised is all." May laughed.

"So good to know I can count on you, Solidad."

"Hold on, what was that?" Solidad laid a hand on May's shoulder.

"HELP!" A voice came echoing out of the forest.

"That sounds like Drew!" May said, terrified.

"It does. If HE'S asking for help he must be in real trouble." Solidad was panicking. May didn't stick around to chat. Ignoring the pokemon center as she sprinted past, she ran headfirst into the woods. If you asked he later, May couldn't possibly recreate the path she was carving through the woods. She was driven by her friend's cries for help, and something deeper. A tug from somewhere inside her, guiding her to him. May stopped, panting in the undergrowth surrounding a small clearing. In her wild flight, she'd left

Solidad behind. She was alone. No, not alone. Crouching in the underbrush, May realized why she had been driven to stop at this clearing. Drew was tied and gagged, hung from a tree like a pinata. Standing below him in the clearing, were two Team Rocket grunts.

"Now listen squirt. We know yous has got some pokemon. The boss wants them pokemon, see? Now hand them over, or people are going to get hurt."

"He's right!" May said bravely, standing up in outrage. "People are going to get hurt." She said, pounding her fist into her hand, looking into the grunt's eyes, and sounding far more impressive than she felt. "GO! Blaziken! I choose you!" She usually said 'take the stage!' But right then, she decided she needed to sound less fancy and contesty, more robust and feirce.

"Blaziken and I are ready to battle when you are!" She yelled at the grunts.

"Fine, you asked for it, you pesky worm! Go Zubat!"

"You too, Rattata! Help out!" May had been expecting something tough. she hadn't been expecting this.

"Blaziken, step on them." She said.

"I guess we'll just have to take that pokemon then!" The lead grunt said, lunging at Blaziken.

"Wait." Said a bored voice. A man stepped out of the shadows. he was tall. He wore a black suit with the Team Rocket emblem on the right side. The grunts fell to their knees.

"Boss." They muttered in unison. He ingnored them with supreme indifference.

"You, girl, out of the way." He said, brushing past May and walking right up to Drew where he hung in the tree. "Boy. News of your doings for teams Aqua and Magma have reached our ears, even all the way in Kanto, where I'm from." May looked in shock at Drew. He shook his head at her, but the fear in his eyes gave him away. The boss of Team Rocket reached up and tore his gag off. He took a huge gulp of air, and then screamed:

"May, Run! Run now!" Blue eyes met green, and the owner of the blue pair shook her head.

"I'm not leaving you, Drew. Even if you are working for Aqua and Magama. And I will expect an explanation about that. Why wouldn't you tell me? I thought we were friends." She looked into his eyes, deep and sad as an empty Pringles can.

"Let him DOWN Giovanni! Or I'll have no choice but to force you!" Now the bravery wasn't an act. Giovanni slowly turned to face her.

"With that Blaziken of yours? I'll have you know, I use ground types."

"Then I'll use my Squirtle. But let's battle, to these rules. I win, you let him go

and never bother either of us again. You win, and I'll go with you in his place." Giovanni snorted.

"What would I want with you?" May straightened herself up.

"I am May, princess of Hoenn. I am a coordinator with a fanbase. My father is the Petalburg gym leader. My little brother has befriended Jirachi, the mythical wish pokemon. I have befriended Manaphy, the mythical sea-fairy pokemon. One of my best friends is the Pewter gym leader. Another of my best friends is Ash Ketchum from Pallet town. I am a well-connected, strong trainer. I am worth more than a boy who has been involved in a couple of evil plots!" She said, Drew shaking his head at her the whole time, urging her to stop talking and run. Giovanni was looking at her in new light.

"I agree to your terms, girl. I win, you come with me. You win, you both go from this place untouched."

"Either way, you'll let him go?"

"Yes."

"Release him now, I am a girl of my word. I will not run, but you must let Drew go before any kind of deal can be settled." Drew shook his head frantically again.

"May, don't sacrifice yourself for me! I'll be fine, don't strike a deal with that monster!"

"Shut up Drew! I'm saving your sorry hind, and you'll be grateful for it. Now let him go." May said, pushing all the finality in her decision she could muster into the sentence. Giovanni snapped his fingers, and the grunts went immediately to work, untying Drew.

"Escort him back to Bonitaville. Don't let him come back." May commanded. They looked at Giovanni and he nodded. They pulled a struggling Drew back into the forest.

"Now, girl. You, me, to the finish." Giovanni said once all was quiet again, reaching for a Pokeball.

**What do you think? Cliffhangery! Please leave me a review, I LOVE knowing how I can improve. All constructive criticism welcome. I promise I'll explain almost everything in the next chapter, Aqua and Magma, how Brianna cheated, and other questions you ask in reviews.**


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